Annunciator



W. T. DIPPEL.

Patented June 6, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

i i M RIIJ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYQ @NED STATES WILLIAM T. DIPPEL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ANNUNCIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed May 5, 1920. Serial No. 378,989.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM T. DIPPEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Annunciators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to annunciator systems and apparatus whereby selective and variable signals can be displayed at a point distant from the operator.

An object of my invention is to provide system and apparatus of this character which requires a minimum of connecting wires, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, easily installed, conveniently manipulated and reliable in operation.

A further object is to provide a signal display or receiving device which is compact in construction but having a maximum signal display surface or area.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the novel features of my invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention comprehends generallv a sending or control mechanism and receiving or display mechanism, the sending mecha-' nism being adapted by means of an inter mittent current, to set the signal display de vice in a selected condition for indicating the desired information. The invention also comprehends novel display mechanism and restoring means for the same, and certain structures and circuits as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanyino' drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation illustrating one setting of the display mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the receiving or display mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the restoring motor for the display mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of certain of the parts.

Fig. 6 is a diagram of the system as a whole, and

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the selective cam element.

The annunciator system described has particular value for use in places where persons congregate who are subject to calls from their immediate business, and where it is desirable that such calls be quietly and promptly given. It is in the nature of an improvement or modification of the invention disclosed in m co-pending application No. 300,049 filed M ay 27, 1919. The apparatus comprises a signal display device or annunciator proper, carrying symbols which are selectively displayed, the device being located in some easily observed position, and suitable circuits connect the device with a control apparatus which is located at a telephone or other suitable station.

The display or receiving device will be first described, having particular reference to 1* igs. 1 to 5 and 7. A base plate 1 is provided with side walls 2 and an end wall 3, which act as the supports for the mechanism. A shaft 4 extends transversely of the device, slightly in advance of the end wall 3, and is rotatably mounted in the side walls 2. Fix edly carried by this shaft is a pinion 5 which extends through an opening 6 in the end wall 3 and meshes with a gear 7 rotatably carried upon a shaft 8 that extends between the side walls 2. A display vane or leaf 9 is fixedly carried by the pinion to be rotated thereby through approximately 180 into positions above and below the shaft and against the end wall 3. A plurality of similar vanes or leaves 10 are rotatably carried upon the shaft 3 by means of short sleeves 11. Thus when the vane 9 is in its upper position, it holds the other vanes fiat against the end wall 3 and no symbol is visible. The vanes can all be latched in this position by one or more levers 12, pivoted upon the shaft 13, which engage with and hold the vane 9 in the upper position. Amagnet 14 is arranged to act when energized upon the levers 12 and shift them to release vane 9 and certain of the other vanes and permit them to fall about the axis of shaft 4 into the lower position. The vanes 10 arealso latched in their upper position and selectively released by a series of latch levers 15, also pivoted upon the shaft 13. The free end edge of each of the vanes 10 is notched so as to leave a projecting portion 16 adapted to be latched under one of the levers 15 and clear all of the other levers 15 and main latch levers 12. The locking projections are arranged in sequence along theedge so that each vane 10 is held by but one lever and clears the other, it being understood, of course that any unlatched vane will always hold up those in the rear thereof. The levers, especially levers 12, have beveled noses 1.2 in order that the levers may be cammed upwardly and allow the vanes to pass behind the locking surfaces thereof, when they are shifted to'this position by the gear 7 and pinion 5. o'prings 15 assistmovement of the levers to latching position.

In order to selectively shift the latching levers into non-latching positions and hold them there, I provide a stepped cam 16, the stepped portions of which are arranged spirally around the peripheral surface so that upon rotation of the cam the levers 15 will be successively, from one side to theother, cammed into their upper positions. Thus the extent of rotation of this cam will determine the number of consecutive levers 15 which will be shifted into non-latching position. The cam 17 is carried by a shaft 18 rotatably mounted in the opposite side walls, and the shaft carries on one end thereof a ratchet wheel 19 by means of which the shaft and cam receive their rotation. The shaft 18 also carries a spring 20 attached thereto atone end and reacting at the other end with the frame to yieldingly retain the shaft and cam in a normal position. An arm 21 carried by the shaft is adapted to engage with a stop 22 carried by one of the side walls .and limit movement of the cam and shaft under the action ofthe spring beyond the normal position.

A driving pawl 23 for the ratchet. wheel 19 is pivoted-at 24: to a member 25 which is mounted for reciprocation upon a side wall 2 by means of screws 26 passing through slots 27 inthe member and into the side wall. A spring 28 connected between the member 25 and a side wall 2 yieldingly holds the member at one end ofits path of travel. A holding pawl 29 ispivoted at 30 to a side wall 2 and extends in the'same gen eral direction as the pawl but engages with the ratchet wheel on the side opposite to the pawl 23. A spring 31. connects the pawls 23 and 29 and yieldingly holds them in operative engagement with the ratchet wheel. The member '25 is connectedthrough a link 32 with the core 33 of an electromagnet 34 controlled by the sending mechanism as will be hereinafter explained, whereby the ratchet wheel will be stepped along a number of times equal to the number of current impulses through the electromagnet 34.

An electromagnet 85 adapted to be ener gized in a manner to be subsequently explained, is carried through a frame 36 upon the base plate 1, and by itsgmagnetic action upon a core 37 retracts the latter into the magnet. A connecting rod 38 is pivotally connected at its opposite ends to the core and the gear 7, and rotates the latter to re store the vanes through pinion 6 and vane 9 when the electromagnet 35 is energized.

na epoe The core 37 carries a bridge contact 39 which near the end of the vane restoring stroke contacts with and forms a bridging circuitbetween the terminal contacts 40, and

4-1 to energize the circuit of an electromagnet as. This electromagnet is provided with an armature 4:3 carried by the rotatable shaft at whereby energization of the electromagnet will cause a slight rotation of the shaft. A double cam T5 is carried by the shaft s and arranged between the pawls 23 and 29 to separate the latter and release the ratchet wheel 19 upon oscillation of the shaft by the armature and electromagnet 42. The release of the ratchet wheel permits the return by thespring 20 of the shaft 18 and cam 16 to normal ineffective position with the arm 2l in engagement with the stop 22.

lit is desirable that the signal display area be as large as possible without the occupation of an excessive amount of space by each receiving or display device and therefore I provide the, adjacent contacting faces of each of the vanes with complementary portionsof the display symbols or insignia, whereby when the vanes are separated at any point by the release of certain of them by the selective cam and levers l2 and 15, the separated vane surfaces will together form a. substantially continuous display surface of double the area of one side of each vane. Thus, as illustrated in Fig; 1, the separation of certain of the vanes discloses the symbol8 part of which is carried by one vane/ and part by the other vane. H

' The electromagnets 142, 84, andeQ each have one terminal connected to a common current return wire 16 leading to a source of current such as a battery 47. From the battery, current passes to one terminal of each of the three current interrupting de- 'vices.-i8. 49 andj50 by wires 51, 52 and 525. From circuit closer 18, a wire 54 leads to electromagnet let for conducting current thereto, the current returning to the battery as before mentioned, through the common return wire 46. From circuit closer 49 a wire 55 leads to an electro-magnet whereby upon a certain number of successive operations of the circuit closer 49 a correspending number of impulses will pass to the electromagnet and shift the ratchet wheel 19 and cam 16 to any selected position,as hereinbefore described. A wire 58 connects circuit closer 50 with vane restor ing magnet and through a branch wire 59 leading therefrom with the terminal 40 of the bridge circuit controller whereby the latter connects the battery with the electromagnet 42 at the proper point in the vane restoring operation. v

The operation of the device will now be described. Let it be assumed that a person is to be called who will be identified by a suitable symbol such as 8. The operator at the phone booth who receives the call will operate circuit closer 1-9 to send a certain number of impulses, such as eight, to electro-magnet 34 which will set the cam 16 and position the levers 15 in such a manner that the vanes to be released thereby will display the symbol 8. The vanes will all still be held by the levers 12 which hold front vane 9 latched. The operator will then operate circuit closer 48 which energizes electro-magnet 14: to release vane 9, and the previously unlatched vanes will fall into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 and the large symbol 8 will be displayed. As soon as the person identified as number 8 observes this symbol on the display device he will report to the display operator to receive his message. WVhen he so reports, the operator Will operate circuit closer 50 and energize the electromagnet 35 which retracts its plunger core and through its rod 88, gear 7, pinion 5 and vane 9, the vanes will all be restored to initial non-display position where they will be latched by levers 12. When the restoring stroke 0]": core 37 has about been completed, the bridge 39 will contact with and electrically connect the terminals 4L0 and 41 and cause energization of electromagnet 4-2 which through its armature 13, shaft 414:, and cam 45 separates the pawls 23 and 29 to release the ratchet wheel 19 and cam 16 and permit their return to normal position under the influence of the spring 20. The circuits through electromagnets 12 and 35 are both controlled by circuit closer 50, which is manually operated. This circuit is held closed only during the restoring stroke and is then opened, so that notwithstanding that the contacts 10 and 41 are connected by the bridge 89 no current will pass through electro-magnet 42. The device is then ready for another operation. It is also obvious that various changes in the embodiment herein described and illustrated can be made within the principle and scope or my invention.

I claim:

1. In an annunciator system, the combination of a signal display device having parts adapted to assume a non-display and a plurality of different relative display positions, means for normally holding the parts against movement from non-display posi tion, a cam, means for setting said cam to a selected position, means controlled by the cam for selectively determining the number of parts which will be released, and means for then releasing said parts to permit them to move to display position.

2. In an annunciator system, the combination of a signal display device having parts adapted to assume a non-display and a plurality of different relative display positions, means for normally holding the parts against movement from nondisplay position, a cam,

means for setting said cam to a selected position, means controlled by the cam for selectively determining the number of parts which will be released, means for releasing said parts to permit them to move to display position, and means for subsequently restoring the parts to non-display position and resetting the cam to a non-selective position. 4

3. In an annunciator system, the combination of a plurality of pivoted display vanes, a plurality of pivoted selecting levers for selectively latching the vanes in one position, a main holding lever for latching all of said vanes, a rotatable cam operable during rotation for progressively shifting the selecting levers to non-latching position, means for rotating said cam to release certain of the vanes from the influence of their selecting levers, and'means for shifting said main holding lever to allow the released vanes to move to display position.

1. In'an annunciator system, the combination of a plurality of pivoted display vanes, a plurality of pivoted selecting levers for selectively latching the vanes in one position, a main holding lever for latching all of said vanes, a rotatable cam operable during rotation for progressively shifting the selecting levers to non-latching position, means for rotating said cam to thereby release certain of the vanes from the influence of their selecting levers, means for shifting said main holding lever to allow the released vanes to move to display position, and means for restoring the vanes and cam to their initial positions.

5. In an annunciator system, the combination 01" a plurality of pivoted display vanes, a plurality of pivoted selecting levers for selectively latching the vanes in one position, a main holding lever for latching all of said vanes, a rotatable cam operable during rotation for progressively shifting the selecting levers to non-latching position, means including an electromagnet for rotating said rain to thereby release certain of the vanes from the influence of their "selecting levers, means for shifting said main holding lever to allow the released vanes to move to dis play position, and means for restoring the vanes and cam to their initial positions.

6. In an annunciator system, the combination of a plurality of pivoted display vanes, a plurality of selecting levers for selectively releasing said vanes, a spirally stepped cam for progressively operating said levers, and means for setting said cam to a selected position and thereby release selected miles through the selecting levers which have been operated.

7. In an annunciator system. the combination of a plurality of pivoted display vanes, a plurality of selecting levers for selectivel releasing said vanes,-aspirally stepped cam for progressively operating said levers, means for rotating said cam to a selected position. to shift any desired number of le vers to thereby release selected vanes, means for restoring said vanes to latched position, and means controlled by said restoring means for restoring the cam to initial posi tion.

8. In an annnnciator system, the combination of a shaft, a pinion. on said shaft, a vane fixedly carried by aid pinion, a plurality of vanes pivotally carried on said shaft, and engaged by the fixed vane when the latter is rotated in one direction, a motor geared to the pinion for rotating the vane carried thereby and through it also the other vanes to one position, .means for latching said vanes in this position, and means for operating said latching means to selectively release any number of vanes.

9. In an annunciator system, the combination of a display device, means including a shaft spring operated in one direction for selectively setting said display device for operation, a ratchet wheel on-said shaft, a driv- .ing pawl co-acting with said ratchet wheel to rotate the shaft against the action of its spring, a holding pawl arranged on the op posite side of the ratchet wheel from and extending in the same direction as the driv ing pawl, a spring connecting the pawls and holding them against the ratchet wheel, means for operating the driving pawl, and resetting means for said shaft comprising a normally ineffective cam between the pawls and means for shifting said cam to separate the pawls and release the ratchet wheel and shaft.

10. In an annunciator system, a plurality of pivoted display vanes adapted to move to display position when released, a main latching device for the outer vane, a selective latching device for each of the other vanes, means for shifting any number of the selective latching devices according to a definite order to release positions, means for operating said shifting means to any selected extent, and means for tripping said main latching device' 11. In an annunciator system, the combination of a plurality of pivoted display vanes, means for holding all of said vanes together in one position, means individual to each vane for also holding it in said one position, a device for releasing any desired number of vanes from said individual holding means, and means for operating said first-named means to completely release the vanes previously released from the individual means and permit of their simultaneous movement to display position.

12. In an annuneiatorsystem, the combination of a plurality of display members, a plurality of latching levers for selectively holding said members together in one posirelease positions and thus determine by the position of the cam the number of said members to be released, a stop, an arm connected to said cam for rotation therewith and adapted to engage said stop when in normal position, a spring connected to said cam for yieldingly holding the same in normal position with the arm in contact with the stop, means to progressively rotate said cam from normal to any desired position, and thus set the levers accordingly, means for holding the cam against return movement, means operable upon the other of said levers to release the selected members and permit them to move to display position, means for restoring said members to latched position, and means controlled by said restoring means for releasing the cam from the said rotating and holding means and permit the return by the spring of the cam to normal position.

18. In an annuneiator system, the combination of a plurality of display members, a plurality of latching levers for selectively holding said members together in one posi tion, a rotatable cam adapted, when rotated from a normal position, to operate upon and progressively set certain of said levers to determine by the position of the cam the number of said members to be released, a stop, an arm connected with said cam for rotation therewith and adapted to engage said step when in normal position, a spring connected to said cam for yieldingly holding the same in normal position with the arm in contact with the stop, electromagnetic means for progressively rotating the cam from normal to set as many of the levers as desired in release position, means for holding the cam against return movement, means for operating the other of said levers to completely release the selected members and permit them to move to display position, means for restoring said members to latched position, and means controlled by said restoring means for releasing the cam from the rotating and holding means, to permit return of the cam to normal position.

14. In an annunciator system, the combination of a plurality of display members, a plurality of latching levers for selectively holding said members together in one position, a rotatable cam adapted, when rotated from a normal position, to operate upon and progressively set certain of said levers to determine by the position of the cam the number of said members to be released, a stop, an arm connected with said cam for rotation therewith and adapted to engage said stop when in normal position, a spring connected to said cam for yieldingly holding the same in normal position with the arm in contact With the stop, electromagnetic means for progressively rotating the cam from normal to set the levers accordingly, means for holding the cam against return movement, means for operating the other of said levers to completely release the selected members and permit them to move to display position, means for restoring said members to latched position, electromagnetic means for releasing the cam from the rotating and holding means to permit return of the cam to normal position, a circuit for said last mentioned electromagnetic means, and means controlled by the restoring means for closing the said circuit to energize said releasing means When the members are restored.

15. In a annunciator system, the combination of display members pivotally mounted on the same axis, a main latching lever for retaining all of said members in normal position, a plurality of selective latching levers each retaining a certain number of members in normal position, means for progressively operating said selective levers to release any desired number of members from their control, means for operating said main latching member to permit movement of the selectively released members to display position, restoring means for said members, and mean for causing said levers to resume latching position.

16. In an annunciator system the combination of display members pivotally mounted on the same axis, a main latching lever for retaining all of said members in normal position, a plurality of selective latching levers each retaining a certain number of members in normal position, means for progressively operating said selective levers to release any desired number of members from their control and means for operating said main latching member to permit movement of the selectively released members to another position.

17. In an annunciator system, the combination of display members pivotally mounted on the same axis, a main latching lever for retaining all of said members in normal position, a plurality of selective latching levers each retaining a certain number of.

members in normal position, means for progressively operating said selective levers to release any desired number of members from their control, and means for operating said main latching member to permit movement of the selectively released members to another position, restoring means for said members, and means controlled by the re storing means for causing said lovers to re sume latching position.

18. In a signal display device, a plurality of display vanes individually pivoted upon the same axis, means for normally holding all of said vanes together above the axis in a position to fall by gravity, devices individual to each vane for also holding it in its upper position, means for selectively releas ing any desired number of the vanes from their individual holding devices, means for operating said holding means to permit the individually released. vanes to fall simultaneously to display position, and means for simultaneously restoring all of said released vanes to said one position above the axis.

19. In a display device, the combination of display means adapted to assume a plurality of display positions, means for holding said means in a non-display position and for selectively permitting movement of said display means to any of said positions, additional means for preventing any movement of the display means, controlling means for selectively operating said holding means, and means for removing the control of said additional means upon said display means to permit the movement of the latter to the selected position.

20. In a display device. the combination of display means, adapted to assume a plurality of display positions, means for holding said means in a non-display position and for selectively permitting movement of said display means to any of said positions, additional means for preventing any movement of the display means, controlling means for selectively operating said holding means, means for removing the control of said additional means upon said display means to permit the movement of the latter to the selected position, and means for restoring said display means to initial position under the control of the holding and preventing means.

21. In an annunicator system, a support, a plurality of display vanes mounted on said support for pivotal movement about a common axis, means normally holdingsaid vanes at one side of the axis and adapted to release any desired number of the vanes to permit them to rotate to display position at the other side of the axis, a member having gear teeth thereon connected to that vane which is outermost when all vanes are in held position, and means meshing with the teeth of said member for rotating the member and attached vane to the held position of the vane and thereby restoring all of the vanes to their held positions under the control of said holding means.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

WILLIAM T. DIPPEL. 

